Fragility of Life
by Juliet316 2000
Summary: A tragic error in judgment made Chris Benoit give up wrestling. Now he's forced to reluctantly return.
1. Default Chapter

Fragility of Life

This fic starts out in WCW and a WCW feud, so if you don't like to read about this company, at least in the beginning, stop reading now.

TITLE: Fragility of Life Prologue?

AUTHOR: Juliet3:16

EMAIL: PG - 13

CONTENT: VIOLENCE, ADULT LANGUAGE

CATEGORY: ADULT, DRAMA, ANGST

SPOILERS: Around WCW in October 1999, just before Russo shows up, after that it's uncertain just how much from the 'regular' wrestling universe I'll use. If you remember the brief Revolution angle from right before Russo showed up, you should be okay.

SUMMARY: A tragic accident causes Chris Benoit to leave the sport and push away all he loves. Years later, he's reluctantly drawn back into the sport.

DISCLAIMER: Vince McMahon either owns them or he doesn't. That's all I can say at this point. All I know is they ain't mine.

DISTRIBUTION: WWOMB, anybody else, please ask.

_Fragility of Life_

_Prologue_

_October 1999_

Chris Benoit stood in the ring, awaiting his former friend and opponent for the evening, Dean Malenko. A large part of Chris wanted this match more than anything. The degradation and insults heaped on him by Revolution ever since being cast out for not committing to the gang's ruthless methods had almost gotten to be too much on him. Beating Dean would get Chris a step closer to the group's ringleader, Shane Douglas.

There was also a part of Chris that didn't want this match; that couldn't discount the years of friendship with Dean that included stints in Japan, ECW, and in WCW with the Four Horseman and Revolution. The sad fact was that even the closest of friends, as Chris thought him and Dean had been, turned on each other and fought each other all the time in wrestling, and Dean's voluntary complicity in almost burning a Canadian flag had been the last straw for Chris. The sooner this was over, the better.

That didn't mean Chris could shake the feeling of foreboding about the match about to start.

Dean came to the ring without the other members of Revolution. That had been Chris' lone stipulation for the match up. He didn't want to take the chance of Shane sticking his nose in it, so Chris had everybody banned from ringside. The look of hate in his former friend's eyes affected him more than Chris wanted to admit.

The fight went back and forth for most of the match; Chris and Dean knew each other so well, they knew how to counter the other's moves before the other even thought to use them. Finally, Chris managed to get Dean in a vulnerable enough position to execute his submission Crippler Crossface.

Chris cinched it in as hard as he could and pulled back on Dean's head. He became totally detached, focusing only on the Crossface. His brain registered a small popping sound, but dismissed it as a cracking of one of his knuckles. He heard the bell ring, but thought he was hearing things. Dean hadn't tapped yet.

It took the refs trying to pull him off Dean to make Chris come back to reality. As he disengaged the Crossface and stood up, the refs and trainer came to check on Dean. It was then that Chris got a good look at his former friend.

Dean Malenko was lying prone, clearly unconscious with his eyes closed. He was unmoving, appearing completely lifeless. His neck was turned slightly at an odd angle.

As the trainers called for the EMTs to work on Dean, Chris realized that he'd done to Dean what he'd done all those years ago to Sabu in ECW: Went too far, and broke Dean's neck. Now he was facing the possibility that he could've seriously injured Dean to the point of it being career ending, or worse with Dean not moving and not responding to medical attention, killed him.

Chris knew right then again he would never be involved in wrestling again.

Okay, hopefully more to come.


	2. Chapter One: A Few Years Later

TITLE: Fragility of Life Chapter One?

AUTHOR: Juliet3:16

EMAIL: PG - 13

CONTENT: VIOLENCE, ADULT LANGUAGE

CATEGORY: ADULT, DRAMA, ANGST

SPOILERS: Around WCW in October 1999, just before Russo shows up, after that it's uncertain just how much from the 'regular' wrestling universe I'll use. If you remember the brief Revolution angle from right before Russo showed up, you should be okay.

SUMMARY: A tragic accident causes Chris Benoit to leave the sport and push away all he loves. Years later, he's reluctantly drawn back into the sport.

DISCLAIMER: Vince McMahon either owns them or he doesn't. That's all I can say at this point. All I know is they ain't mine.

DISTRIBUTION: WWOMB, anybody else, please ask.

_Chapter One_

_'A Few Years Later'_

"Dammit Eddy, are you sure this is the place?"

Eddie Guerrero tried to ignore the sounds of his friend's grumbling. In truth, he had no idea if he was at the right place or not. He was not however, going to admit that to Perry Saturn.

"Look, from what I got out of Arn Anderson, this should be where he's working now," Eddie answered. Arn Anderson had not been happy when Eddie came to try and wheedle information out of him. The older man finally gave Eddie a work address. Whether it was to shut Eddie up or because Arn figured Chris Benoit would torpedo anything Guerrero and Saturn had to say before they opened their mouths, Eddie was not sure. He was pretty certain that one of the reasons' Arn had not given him a home address for Chris as because Chris' wife Nancy would have either shut the door in their faces or called the police on the two men. Perhaps both.

"Okay, Eddie," Perry interrupted Eddie's train of thought, sounding even more agitated than usual. "One last time: Are you sure this is the place?"

Eddie sighed as he turned into a parking lot. "This is the address Arn gave me."

"This is a high school!"

"That would fit with all those Internet rumors of him being a gym teacher now," Eddie noted.

Eddie suddenly noticed Saturn picking at his eyes.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Taking out these contacts!" Saturn replied testily, "I'd rather not get thrown out or arrested by an overzealous teacher or principal because I scare them!"

Eddie fought in vain to keep the laughter from coming out. It made the laughter come out faster when Perry shot several glares in the Latino wrestler's direction.

"Very funny Guerrero," Perry muttered, "now let's just go in and get this over with. Luckily we didn't have to cross the border this time."

Eddie nodded, briefly wondering again why Chris had chosen to stay in Atlanta instead of returning to Canada after quitting WCW. Eddie figured it probably had to do with Nancy and the kids, both hers, and their young son. He pushed the thought out of his mind. If Chris decided to let them have their say, Eddie and Perry could find out his reasons for staying in Atlanta later.

Eddie and Perry managed to get the school secretary to tell them where the gym was without too much problem, though Perry got plenty of looks, despite the lack of contacts and piercings. When they reached the gym, they started looking for him. They had no problem finding him.

Chris had not changed much in the years since he had left. His hair was a little thinner, his frame slightly more trimmed down, but overall he looked more or less the same. He looked like he could still walk into a ring and wrestle anybody who challenged him. Which was a plus in Eddie and Saturn's favor.

If they could convince Chris Benoit to come out of retirement that is.

While wondering how to get the older man's attention, Chris had apparently realized that somebody was watching him. He turned and stared directly at Guerrero and Saturn. His expression quickly changed from the earnestness he had shared with the kids in the gymnasium to dark annoyance at the sight of the two active wrestlers. It made Eddie wonder if Arn might have warned Chris that they were coming beforehand.

Chris excused himself to the kids currently playing basketball and stalked over to Eddie and Perry. He never gave them a chance to speak.

"Whatever you're here for," the former wrestler ground out, "The answer is no."

It's somewhat short, but hopefully next chapter will be longer. Thanks for reading.

Juliet3:16 (Proud American)


End file.
